Six CL61 ceilometers

***NOAA's Acquisition & Grants Office, Western Acquisition Division-Boulder, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), Global Monitoring Laboratory (GML) intends to negotiation, on a sole source basis, under authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), with Vaisala, Inc, out of Louisville, CO, for six CL61 ceilometers.

***The sole source determination is based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) requirement that Vaisala’S CL61 ceilometers are the only instruments that that use Vaisala’s proprietary BL-View software. The data are output in netCDF format and meet the requirements of our analysis routines. The nine Vaisala CL-51 ceilometers already being operated by GML, while being older models, all use the BL-View software to collect and process the data produced by the instrument. Being able to use the same software to produce similarly formatted outputs throughout our networks will be advantageous to a reliable and continuous data collection for our data products. The Vaisala CL61 ceilometer is currently the only product on the market that provides the attenuated backscatter profiles measured in two polarization directions to calculate the depolarization ratio. The depolarization measurement not only enables the liquid/solid differentiation, but also makes it possible to detect dust and volcanic ash which is imminently relevant to the new observatories in the western US, as well as for differentiating different cloud types for future field studies on understanding and improving cloud formation in NWP Models. Delivery will occur in installments with the first two units delivered by February 1, 2023 and final units by 12-15 months from date of award.

***THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH DOCUMENTATION WILL BE EVALUATED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO CONDUCT THIS PROCUREMENT ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. A DETERMINATION BY THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT, BASED UPON RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE, IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.